But schools across the UK are fighting back against this attempt to phase out some less common words, and that includes the States’ Early Years Team.

It and its service partners have been working with the Island’s preschools and day nurseries to promote communication and language within their settings using a book titled ‘The Lost Words’, written by Robert Macfarlane and illustrated by Jackie Morris.

‘The Lost Words’ is a lyrical book of spells, written as acrostic poems which focus on these words that have been removed from the Oxford Junior English Dictionary – alongside ‘acorn’ and ‘bluebell’ are other words like ‘conker’, ‘kingfisher’, ‘newt’, ‘bramble’ and more. The words which have been added to that dictionary include ‘googling’, ‘blogging’, and ‘twerking’.

McFarlane was one of a number of writers to protest these actions, particularly given the benefits of natural play, connections to nature and the dangers of losing these experiences. Therefore, he turned to his craft of writing and together with Morris produced a stunning book in both scale and content. The book’s collection of ‘spells’, through reading and sharing them, help the words break their way back into everyday usage.

Throughout the past three months, providers have been using different elements of the book to share and excite children in developing their communication and language skills whilst exploring further words, including our own Guernesiais.

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Elizabeth College preschoolers learning about the Lost Words. 

There has been a particular focus on the words at Acorn House preschool, as they relate to the names of each year group, Kingfishers and Wrens, and the school’s name. Anne Liu, Curriculum Leader at the ECJS preschool, said: “throughout this term the preschool is working on a variety of interesting activities relating to the eight words. 

“We have lots planned to engage the children and we are excited that ‘The Lost Words’ is the [school’s] topic for this year’s Esiteddfod.” 

Parents, carers and their children are invited to attend a ‘Word Aware’ session on Wednesday 20 February at 10:30 in the Dorey Room at Guille-Alles Library. This is an initiative which aims to help support children’s language development by using words in a fun and exciting way and is run in several of the pre-schools across the Island. A short talk will be given by Speech and Language Therapists followed by a group participation activity with parents/carers and their children.

There is also an opportunity for children to add to the displays throughout the week through activities which will be available at the Library.